*** Review*** Cursed: A Werewolf’s Tale (Werewolves #1) by David Wellington

On the Back of the Book

There’s one sound a woman doesn’t want to hear when she’s lost and alone in the Arctic wilderness.

For Cheyenne Clark, there’s a bad moon on the rise. When a strange wolf slashes her ankle to the bone, her old life ends and she becomes the very monster that has haunted her nightmares for years. Worse, the only one who can understand what Chey has become is the man – and wolf – who’s doomed her to this fate. He also wants her dead.

Yet as the line between human and beast blurs, so too does the distinction between hunter and hunted... for Chey is more than just the victim she appears to be. But once she’s within killing range, she may find that – even for a werewolf – it’s not always easier to go for the jugular.

Pre Read Thoughts

Aaah, The Works, without you my TBR pile would be significantly smaller. Darn you and your 3 for £5 offer on books! Mind you, it takes more than a price tag to make me stop and pick up a book. In the case of this one I think it might be something to do with the cover. I personally think that the wolf’s muzzle really stands out against the black of the background and really draws potential buyers in. The synopsis makes me want to read the book. It sounds like the story offers an alternative to the werewolf books I tend to read and that can only be a good thing.

Post Read Thoughts

This is a book of two parts for me. I really struggled to get into the story, despite being thrown in at the deep end. Once the book had settled and I got accustomed to the author’s writing style I got into the book and found it to be a quick read. The ending was incredible and I couldn’t put the book down, in fact, I didn’t realise I was reaching the end until I ran out of pages to turn.  I also loved how the author chose to let the reader discover Chey’s back story. So many authors would’ve started with what Mr Wellington put in the middle of this.

The journey Chey went on is incredible and I really enjoyed learning about her and could really feel for her as she tried to adjust to the changes that had been forced upon her by Powell. Speaking of, Powell is a character that I like and don’t like. He’d do something really nice that endeared him to me and then I’d find something else about him or he’d do something nasty and I’d be back where I started with him. Bobby was a complete prat and a fool and I disliked him intensely from the moment he appeared on the page. Dzo is a character that freaks me out more than a bit. I didn’t really get to find anything out about him and that’s what I wanted to do more than anything.

Overall I liked this book, really I did. The characters were interesting even if they weren’t always likeable. I found the writing easy to read and enjoyable (for the most part). I loved the thought that went into the character’s back stories and there were some things about werewolves in this that I hadn’t seen explored before. I’d recommend this to people who like werewolves and I personally thought that it was much better than the YA equivalents that I’ve read.

My Rating

4 stars – A great read that really fired up my imagination. I definitely want to read the other book in the series and other books by the author and recommend him to others who are fans of the genre.

A Final Note

This is an adult book and as a result of that there is swearing. There’s also some heavy violence so this book so it’s definitely not for the faint hearted. 

*** Review*** Survivors by Terry Nation

On the Back of the Book

Flight 301 from Paris to London disembarks seven minutes late after a passenger is taken ill on board. Within weeks, the killer disease he was carrying has wiped out almost all of the world’s population. As power, water and food supplies fail, cities become open graves and nature lays waste to civilisation.

The survivors must start again in a post apocalyptic world: Abby moves through this new, dark age searching for her son; Jenny wanders aimlessly through the countryside after fleeing London: she encounters Greg, a resourceful engineer, and together they form a community.

But with no law and no order, they face terrible dangers – not just the trials of day-to-day life but also the deadly threat from other survivors...

Pre Read Thoughts

This is a book that I’ve tried to read a couple of times before and never got very far with. I’m not quite sure why that is but I thought I’d give it another go as it’s nearing Christmas and I need to get my TBR pile down to make way for my new books. I bought the book after I saw the TV show and liked it enough to get the book. I couldn’t find this in my town but a bus trip to Llandudno and I found it in the WHSmith that’s there. I paid £6.99 for it but I’m sure you could find it cheaper online. The cover is just some characters from the show and therefore doesn’t really tell you much about the actual story. I actually like the synopsis as it gives you an insight into possible events and I can’t wait to settle down and read the book.

Post Read Thoughts

In the end Survivors turned out to be an interesting read with some thoroughly fascinating ideas of what could become of the human race if we were struck down by a pandemic.  The book had a nice, steady pace to it that showed all the struggles of living in a world where none of the things we take for granted are available. The ending shocked me. I know that a happy ending wasn’t possible but the brutality of it struck me. The book was riddled with spelling errors and this really annoyed me because aside from that the writing itself was decent. Didn’t editors exist when this book was first published?

The characters are quite an assortment and the diversity of them just proves what an interesting predicament the virus left the world in. My favourite character was Abby Grant. I love how she knew what she wanted to do and how that made other survivors look up to her. If I’d been in that situation I definitely would’ve needed an Abby. My least favourite character was Tom Price. He was lazy and didn’t really help the group that much. His constant chatter and stories also really wore me down and I wanted to give him a good slap. There were other members of the group that were allowed to grow as characters a bit but I don’t want to ruin it for those of you who want to read this.

Overall I liked this. It was really different from the TV show so it offered an alternative insight into what life could be like without tainting my love of either representation. The ending of the book wasn’t to my taste and the fact that the spelling was a bit dodgy are the only things that dampened my enjoyment a bit. I’m not sure if I’d read this again but it’s certainly got me thinking.

My Rating

3 stars – I thought it was good – and you know how I feel about a book being good. I want more than that from a book. I’d recommend this to people who like dystopians but want something different to what the public seem to be lapping up right now.

A Final Note

 This book contains sexual references, tons of violence due to the nature of the situation and swearing. I wouldn’t give this to a younger teen 
especially an immature one as they might not like some of the content.

 

***Series Review*** Luxe by Anna Godbersen

Pros

• Beautiful covers
• Set in an interesting time period
• Not thought provoking (so if you just want to escape this is your book)
• Well thought out synopsises
• Great for mental imagery

Cons

• Not very engaging
• Characters aren’t likeable
• There isn’t much depth
• The endings are maddening
• The stories can get a bit farfetched

Best Book: The Luxe

Worst Book: Envy

Overall Rating

2 stars – not a series I enjoyed as an adult but I think that teens will thoroughly enjoy the stories and the romance of it. I can say that because as a teen I actually devoured the first three books and would’ve the last if I hadn’t got ill. It’s not a series of books that I’d recommend to anyone, I think it would be a tad hypocritical of me considering that I didn’t like them. I think we’ve all gathered that from my reviews though. 

***Review*** Splendor Luxe #4) by Anna Godbersen

On the Back of the Book

New beginnings.

Shocking revelations.

Unexpected endings.

As spring turns into summer, Elizabeth relishes her new role as a young wife, while her sister, Diana, searches for adventure abroad. But when a surprising clue about their father’s death comes to light, the Holland girl’s wonder at what cost a life of splendour comes.

Carolina Broad, society’s newest darling, fans a flame from her past, oblivious to how it might burn her future. Penelope Schoonmaker is finally Manhattan royalty – but when a real prince visits the city, she covets a title that comes with a crown. Her husband, Henry, bravely went to war, only to discover thar his father’s rule extends well beyond New York’s shores and that fighting for love may prove a losing battle.

In the dramatic conclusion to the bestselling Luxe series, New York’s most dazzling socialites chase dreams, cling to promises, and tempt fate. As society watches what will become of the city’s oldest families and newest fortunes, one question remains: will its stars fade away or will they shine ever brighter?

Pre Read Thoughts

I remember when I first read ‘The Luxe’, ‘Rumours’ and ‘Envy’ I couldn’t wait to the series finale so I got the US version. Just as it arrived though I became ill and didn’t read it – until now. I bought this off Amazon and I think I paid around $12 for it though the US RRP for the hardback is $17.99. Now the book says that it’s a first edition so I’m happy with that. After re-reading the other three books in the series I’m suddenly not so sure if I’ll like this book. So you see me approaching it with a small amount of hesitation. I hope that because this is my first time reading it though that I’ll get some enjoyment out of this. I prefer this US cover as the UK has some embellishments on it that distract from the dress. The synopsis is quite detailed and I like that. Now I just need to pick up the actual book. Wish me luck! 

Post Read Thoughts

I’m glad to finish the series if I’m honest, but only because it means I won’t have to force myself through any more of these. The stories just seemed too farfetched and straight off an over dramatic TV show. Gossip Girl springs to mind, but then again it always has when I read these books. I kept picking this up, reading a few pages and then putting it back down again. Nothing drew me into the book and that disappointed me. I also hated the how it ended. I wanted more than that and I feel Lina, Diana and Henry were all short changed. They deserved more than Ms Godbersen gave them. I got the feeling that the author only cared about Elizabeth’s ending and this was a huge disappointment. The writing was okay but once again I definitely would have had it edited more, all the action seems to take place in the final 60 pages and that’s not acceptable for me.

Diana has an epiphany in this one and I was just like “hallelujah! Finally woman!” I’ve detested her behaviour in the previous two books; I didn’t want her to be one of those girls who waste their life mooning over something they can’t have. Her secret lover, Henry grows up in this one. It was nice to see him finally take some responsibility for his actions; he even grew a pair when it came to his wife. Penelope has her downfall and it’s long overdue. I was happy with the way things turned out for her and she’s the only character that I can say that about. In contrast I hated how things turned out for Lina, I thought that she deserved Leland as well as the big house and the money. She deserved the fairytale. This is a book, the endings are meant to be perfect. I mean if anyone in the world was going to understand why Lina acted the way she did it was Leland. Although I have to say that I’m glad that she stopped denying Claire’s existence. What kind of person denies they have a sibling? This brings me to dear, sweet, dull as dishwater Elizabeth. She’s so perfect and this annoys me. I detested how she got the fairytale that the author was incapable of giving to anyone else. In keeping with the author’s bittersweet theme Elizabeth should have had something bad happen to her. A bit of tragedy might make her a bit more entertaining.

Overall I found this to be average, just like the rest of the series. The only thing I can form a strong opinion about are the endings and I want more than that from a book. I’ve invested time and money in them and I want to be able to enjoy them. Not much in this book stands out for me. I think that girls who like books similar to Gossip Girl will like this but if you want some depth in your stories then this isn’t for you.

My Rating

2 stars – it’s not so horrifically bad that I’d rather hurt something than read this but I’d hardly say that it entertained me. This evidently isn’t my kind of book and I accept that. I personally wouldn’t recommend it to you but there might be someone out there who would.

*** Review*** From Notting Hill With Love... Actually by Ali McNamara

On the Back of the Book

Scarlett loves movies.

But does she love sensible fiancé David just as much?

With a big white wedding on the horizon,

Scarlett really should have decided by now...

When she has the chance to house-sit in Notting Hill – the setting of one of her favourite movies – Scarlett jumps at the chance. But living life like a movie is trickier than it seems, especially when her new neighbour Sean is so irritating. And so irritatingly handsome, too.

Scarlett soon finds herself starring in a romantic comedy of her very own: but who will end up as the leading man?

Pre Read Thoughts

I picked this up in The Works as part of a 3 for £5 deal. I’m not sure what attracted me to this book as it’s not a genre I normally read. It may have been the title but it’s more likely to have been the shiny snowflakes on the cover. What can I say? I’m like a magpie when it comes to shiny things.  Once I’d picked up the book the synopsis really caught my attention. I decided to buy it and take it home for when I was having a bad day. Well the bad day has arrived and the book has been picked up.  I hope it puts a smile on my face.

Post Read Thoughts

***This may contain spoilers. Sorry, I just want to get my point across.***

I really, really liked this book. It had me smiling and laughing out loud as I read about Scarlett’s adventures in Notting Hill and a few other places but to find out where you’ll just have to read the book. The only thing that I wasn’t a fan of was the film references. I think this is because they got repetitive. Scarlett’s meant to be a film buff but so few films were used in the book. However we all have something we obsess over (well I know I do) so I forgave Scarlett quickly. The writing was pretty darn good and drew me into the story speedily. I read the book in less than a day and considering it’s 428 pages that’s not bad at all.

Aside from her obsession with about three films, I liked Scarlett. A lot. She was sweet and funny and I love how she grew as a character throughout the book. I can get why she had issues choosing between David and Sean as they are complete opposites but for me, as the reader, there wasn’t any competition. Sean seemed to care more about Scarlett and more willing to accept her as she was. David wanted her to change and be someone that she wasn’t and that’s not acceptable. I also liked how Sean helped to track down Scarlett’s long lost mum when all David could say was leave it. I wanted David to prove that he deserved Scarlett and he never did. I just quickly want to say that I loved the quirky side characters. Maddie was hilarious, Ursula was pretty awesome but my favourite was definitely Oscar. What a guy! The outfits really had my brain working overtime.

Overall this is a very enjoyable book that makes you feel good. There are some hilarious moments and my personal favourite happens at Disneyland Paris. I’m saying nothing else about it aside from it had me in stitches. The ending is so funny and heart meltingly romantic at the same time. Actually I think that funny and heart meltingly romantic sum up this book nicely. I definitely recommend this to fans of chick-lit or even just for women who want to read something different. I don’t think it would do a guy’s street cred any good to be seen with it though, so if you’re a dude and you want to read this, I have one word for you: Kindle.

My Rating

4 stars – it doesn’t matter how much I loved this I never considered five stars, this isn’t an insult to the book, it’s very high on the scale of four. I think the reason I can only give this four is because a few of the movie references went over my head. Other than that this book is almost perfect. In fact it’s good enough to make me want to go pick up Breakfast At Darcy’s... except I’m not allowed to buy any more books until I have my Kindle (Hurry up Christmas)!

A Final Note

There was one swear word that I can remember and also this is an adult book. Saying that, I’ve read worse in YA so I don’t see why a teen shouldn’t read it.

***Series Review*** His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

Series Summary

There are three books in this series, Northern Lights aka The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife & The Amber Spyglass. The main characters are Will Parry and Lyra Silvertongue. The series is set in parallel universes and is for young adults and children.

Pros

·         Well written

·         Interesting ideas

·         Relatable characters

·         Touching character development

Cons

·         The ending was weak

·         The slow burning plot makes it difficult to get into the series.

·         There’s a spot of violence

·         It’s anti church so religious people may find this offensive.

Best Book: Northern Lights

Worst Book: The Amber Spyglass

Overall Rating


3 stars – it’s a good series but I think that it’s better suited for younger readers after completing the series.  The beautiful descriptions make this worth a read but then that’s negated by the slowness of the plot. The characters are likable and easy to relate to.

***Review*** The Amber Spyglass (His Dark Materials #3 by Philip Pullman

On the Back of the Book

The terrible war foretold by the witches is coming. Will is the bearer of the subtle knife, the most powerful weapon in all the worlds, and must deliver it to Lord Asriel. But he faces his dangerous journey alone, for Lyra has disappeared...

Pre Read Thoughts

The final instalment of the ‘His Dark Materials’ trilogy and I’m not sure how I feel about reading it. The depth of series opener, ‘Northern Lights’ excited me but the slowness of follow up ‘The Subtle Knife’ has made me slightly wary of reading this. Read it I will though. I’m reading this for the ‘Banned Books’ challenge that I’m taking part in on GoodReads. I bought my copy from WHSmith for £7.99 which is the RRP of my edition. If you want to get it cheaper I know that The Works are selling the whole trilogy as a boxset for a nice price. The cover is of Lyra and Iorek Byrnison and is taken from the film ‘The Golden Compass’. I quite like it but I think a beautiful illustration would work better. There isn’t much to the synopsis but I hope this is a good book.

Post Read Thoughts

*** As this is the final book in a trilogy there may be some spoilers in this review***

I don’t know what to say about this and it’s not often that happens. I’m going to try anyway so bear with me. The synopsis made this book sound like everything it isn’t. That “terrible war” didn’t happen, Lyra wasn’t missing for long and they had no intention of going to Lord Asriel. The answers that were being sought were just given to the characters, they didn’t really discover anything themselves. Add on to that the fact that this book is 522 pages long I wasn’t impressed. There was ample amount of space for Lyra and Will to discover what they needed to do. I’ll admit it, this is another slow burner and I wasn’t that interested until around page 300. I’m not at all happy with that. The writing was good though. I can’t fault the author on his skills, the end tugged at my heartstrings because I just wanted a different outcome.

The characters weren’t particularly stand out ish in any way. Will and Lyra’s emotional journey was touching and well portrayed and their decisions made them become wise beyond their years. I was pleased to see the return of some of the characters that had such a huge part in book one such as: Iorek Byrnison, Lord Faa and Serafina Pekkala although the latter played a big part in The Subtle Knife as well. There were also some new characters that really added to the story.

Overall I’m pretty disappointed as the end felt like such a cop out to me. I would’ve liked to see Lyra and Will figure out the issues with their worlds instead of just being told by Pantalaimon and Kirjava. The slow pace made it harder to read and the synopsis took my train of thought in the complete opposite direction to the actual book. However I won’t deny that this book, like the previous two, is well written and is a must for people who like descriptive fantasy and don’t mind a weedy ending.

My Rating

2 stars – my initial thought was to give it three but after writing this review I simply don’t feel that it deserves it. There wasn’t enough action for me and that ending... I know I keep going on about it but I’m sorry, it really annoyed me.